Web threading device in rotary printing machines

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR THREADING A PAPER WEB INTO A NEWSPAPER PRINTING MACHINE UNIT. AN AUXILIARY MOTOR DRIVE WITH OVERRUNNING CLUTCHES FOR THE PRINTING CYLINDER OF THE UNIT AND FOR THE PULLING TAPES OF THE WEB THREADING DEVICES. COUPLINGS FOR DISCONNECTING THE DRIVE OF THE PRINTING PRESS UNIT CYLINDERS FROM THE MAIN DRIVE OF THE UNITS OF WHICH THE ENTIRE NEWSPAPER PRINTING MACHINE IS COMPOSED.

United States Patent Inventor Burton C. Polglase Scarsdale. N.Y.

Appl. No. 743,126

Filed July 8, I968 Patented June 28, I971 Assignee Wood Industries, Inc.

Plainl'ield, NJ.

WEB THREADING DEVICE IN ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 101/219, 101/228. 226/92 Int. Cl ..B41i13/04, l G03b 1/58 FieldofSearch 101/219,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,377,165 5/1945 Luehrs 101/228 2,447,872 8/1948 Riggs et al. 101/216 2,862,705 12/1958 Faeber 226/92 2,944,345 7/1960 Faeber 226/92 Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Assistant ExaminerE. M. Coven AnorneyPennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor and Adams ABSTRACT: A device for threading a paper web into a newspaper printing machine unit. An auxiliary motor drive with overrunning clutches for the printing cylinder of the unit and for the pulling tapes of the web threading devices, Couplings for disconnecting the drive of the printing press unit cylinders from the main drive of the unitsof which the entire newspaper printing machine is composed.

PATENT EU JUN28 I971 SHEET 1 UP 4 PATENTEDJUN28I971 3,587,461

SHEET u [If 4 AZZW WEB THREADING DEVICE IN ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to paper web guiding devices in rotary printing machines,.particularly to devices for threading a new web into a printing unit ofa rotary printing machine.

Devices for threading of new webs into a printing machine for facilitating and for expediting the job of providing a fresh paper web for printing are known in the art. However, most -f these devices are included in the end of the machine after the printing unit with respect to the movement of the web through the machine; which leaves the threading of the paper through the printing unit a manual operation. Manual threading of the web through the printing unit requires separating the printing cylinders in order to pull the paper through them, and obviously requires the stopping of the entire printing machine during this procedure. In a case of a web break during the production run of the printing machine, a considerable time loss for replacing ofthe broken web occurs and since the entire printing machine is producing waste products by running all other units with their paper webs until the replaced web is back again in its correct position among the other webs,

a loss of the costs of the paper material also occurs. It is the purpose of this invention to solve the problems of reducing of this time and money consuming work.

SUMMARY The invention consists in such novel features, construction arrangements, combination of parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the device herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative ofa preferred embodiment. The basic idea of the invention is to use the printing cylinders proper for pulling up the paper web and not to separate them from one another thus losing the originally set impression pressure, and to single out the respective printing unit which needs a new paper web while the rest of the printing machine is stopped.

It is an object of the invention to provide novel contrivances for threading a paper web into a printing unit of a newspaper printing machine.

Further it is an object of the invention to provide power driven means for pulling the paper web.

A further object of the invention is to use the printing cylinders of the printing unit for pulling the paper web through the unit in unison with the paper web pulling tapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an individual auxiliary drive for the printing cylinders of the printing unit and for the paper web pulling tapes of the unit, and overrunning clutches in this drive. Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for threading a paper web into an individual printing unit of a printing machine while the other units of the printing machine are not running.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several FIGS. of the drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows in a schematic view a portion of a typical newspaper printing machine;

FIG. 2 shows the side view of one of the printing units of the machine shown in FIG. 1, with the web threading device;

FIG. 3 shows in an enlarged scale the structure of the arrangement of the auxiliary drive for the printing cylinders of the unit shown in FIG. 2 partly broken away;

FIG. 4 is a developed section taken along the lines IV-IV and lV-IV' of FIG. 3, showing a tape drive;

FIG. 5 shows one side of one of the printing cylinders of the unit shown in FIG. 2 with the web threading tape pulley mounted independently ofthe cylinder, partly broken away;

FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of the drive tape pulley on y the mounting stud ofa web guiding pipe roller;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is a portion of a typical newspaper printing machine shown in FIG. 1, which comprises printing units 10 and a folder 11, mounted on a base 12 which is supported by columns 13. Conventional three-arm reel stands 14 carrying the paper rolls 15 are arranged on columns 13, one reel stand for each printing unit. Paper webs W are guided from paper rolls 15 through printing units I0 over a plurality of web guide rollers 16 to folder II where the webs are cut and folded as newspapers.

Printing unit 10 is shown in FIG. 2, having printing plate cylinders 17, 18 and impression cylinders 19, 20. From a main drive shaft, indicated by the dash-dotted line 21, a vertical shaft 22 drives cylinder I7, with an horizontal shaft 23 connecting cylinder 18 with cylinder 17. A releasable coupling 24 is arranged on vertical shaft 22 for disconnecting unit 10 from main drive shaft 21. An auxiliary drive for driving cylinders l7, l8 and 19, independently when coupling 24 has been released, is arranged on unit I0, as shown in FIG. 3. The auxiliary drive comprises'an auxiliary motor 25, located on the frame 26 of unit 10, a vertical auxiliary drive shaft 27, an intermediate horizontal shaft 28 and spur gears 29, 30 connecting shafts 27, 28 with the horizontal shaft 23, on which spur gear 30 is mounted. Vertical auxiliary drive shaft 27 and intermediate horizontal shaft 28 are geared together by the bevel gears 31, 37, and 32. Spur gear 29 is attached to bevel gear 32 and to the outer member 33 of an overrunnuning clutch 34 on shaft 28. A second overrunning clutch 35 is arranged on vertical auxiliary drive shaft 27 for disengaging motor 25 when the main drive of unit 10 overtakes the auxiliary drive. Shafts 27 and 28 run in antifriction bearings which are located in housing 36.

The third bevel gear 37 is mounted on a horizontal tape drive shaft 38 extending through unit 10 parallel to cylinders I7, 18 and is centrally located between said cylinders. Bevel gear 37 meshes with bevel gears 31, 32, and thus shaft 38 is driven in unison with cylinders l7, 18, 19, 20 by the auxiliary drive. Chain sprockets 39, 39' are mounted in proximity of frames 26, 26 on shaft 38. Corresponding chain sprockets 41, (41) are rotatably arranged on studs 42, (42) which support the pipe roller 43, by being attached to the tape pulleys 44 (44') which run on bearing bushings 45 (45') as shown in FIG. 6. Roller chains 46 (46) drivingly connect sprockets 39. (39') with sprockets 41. (41

An endless tape 47 (47') runs on either side of unit 20 in proximity to the inside of frames 26, 26' over a plurality of conventional idler pulleys 54 (not shown in detail in the drawing), following the path of paper web W. Tapes 47 (47) are driven by tape pulleys 44 (44).

Cylinders 19, 20 are mounted on antifriction bearings 48 which are located in bushings 49 in frames 26, 26'. Bushing 49 has an extension 50 of which carries, an idler tape pulley 51, rotatable thereon by means of rollers 52. This allows tape 47 to be guided over the pulley without interfering with corresponding cylinder 19. A protection sleeve 53 is attached to pulley 51 for bridging the gap between the latter and cylinder 19 for protecting the tape from damage when the press unit is running at production speed.

OPERATION OF THE DEVICE When a paper web breaks during the production run of the printing machine, it is necessary to thread a new web through the respective unit as fast as possible and with as little interference with the other webs. It is also important to thread the new web through the machine with a minimum of waste. This pertains to the paper of all the other units which would keep running into the folders where the folder signatures are obviously unsaleable. It also pertains to the necessity of releasing the pressure of the printing cylinders in the respective unit in order to thread the web through them. The device of this in vention eliminates the waste described above including also the additional waste which would occur when the originally set printing pressure would be reset. The operation of the device is performed as follows. The printing unit which is affected by the web break, is uncoupled from the common main drive by coupling 24, while the remaining units and folders are stopped Auxiliary motor 25 of the unit is switched on, driving at threading speed'the printing cylinders of the unit and at the same time the web threading tapes 47, 47' The edge of the new web W can be attached to either one of tapes 47, 47', as the case may require, below the unit at the site of paper roll 15. Since the impression pressure between the printing cylinders remains intact, the cylinders will help threading once the edge of the web will have been pulled through them by the tapes. FIG. 5 shows how this initial threading can be accomplished. Obviously the path of the tapes may be as far extended as it might be desired or as the design of the printing machine permits. FIG. 2 illustrates only by way of example a possible ending of the path of the tapes. Feeding the web into the folder for joining there with the other webs which had remained intact, is usually a matter of manual work, Eventually motor is switched off, coupling 24 is engaged and the full production work is resumed. The auxiliary drive is automatically protected from being damaged by the running operation of the unit by overrunning clutches 34, 35 and the threading tapes stay silenced during normal runs of the printing machine.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefor in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim:

1. A device for threading a paper web into each printing unit of a newspaper printing machine having a plurality of printing units where said machine has a main drive shaft for driving said plurality of units and where each said unit has two frames, two printing couples where each said couple comprises a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, bushings in said frames, antifriction bearings supported by said bushings for rotatably mounting said cylinders in said frames, a plurality of web guide idler rollers supported by said frames for guiding a web through each said couple, a horizontal drive shaft operatively connecting said couples and a vertical drive shaft operatively connecting one of said cylinders with the main drive shaft of said machine; said device comprising pulley means mounted concentrically with and rotatably independently of the impression cylinder of each couple and of each web guide idler roller, a flexible endless web pulling tape adapted to engage a web and extending parallel to the direction of the travel of the web through the unit and supported by said pulley means, and auxiliary drive means for driving said web pulling tape and said cylinders independently ofthe main drive shaft of the printing machine where said auxiliary drive means comprises an electric motor, a vertical auxiliary drive shaft connected to said motor, a horizontal intermediate shaft, a horizontal tape drive shaft, a gear train drivingly connecting said vertical auxiliary drive shaft, said horizontal intermediate shaft, said horizontal tape drive shaft, and said horizontal drive shaft, and an overrunning clutch in each said vertical auxiliary drive shaft and vertical shaft whereby the vertical drive shaft may be operatively disengaged from said cylinders when said auxiliary electric motor is operated to rotate said cylinders and drive said web pulling tape and whereby said auxiliary electric motor may be operatively disengaged from said gear train when said cylinders are driven by said main drive shaft.

2. A device according to claim I wherein said auxiliary drive means includes in addition a chain sprocket on said horizontal tape drive shaft, a chain sprocket connected to at least one pulley mounted concentrically to a web guide roller,

an an endless chain connecting said chain sprockets.

3. A device for threading a paper web into each printing unit of a newspaper printing machine having a plurality of printing units where said plurality of units are driven by a common drive means and where each said unit has two frames, at least one printing couple comprising a printing plate cylinder and an impression cylinder each rotatably mounted in said frames and adapted to be driven by said common drive means, and a plurality of web guide idler rollers supported by said frames for guiding a web through said couple; said device comprising pulley means mounted concentrically with an rotatable independently of each said impression cylinder and of each said web guide idler roller, a flexible endless pulling tape supported by said pulley means adapted to engage a web and extending parallel to the direction of travel of a web through the unit, and an auxiliary drive means independent in operation of said common drive means for driving said endless pulling tape where said auxiliary drive means includes means for drivingly connecting the cylinders of each couple to drive the same, means operatively connecting the web pulling tape to drive the same, an overrunning clutch for selectively operatively disconnecting said auxiliary drive means from said cylinders and said web pulling tape, and an overrunning clutch for operatively disconnecting said cylinders from said common drive means whereby when said auxiliary drive means is driving said cylinders, they are operatively disconnected from said common drive means and whereby when said cylinders are operatively driven by said common drive means, they are operatively disconnected from said auxiliary drive means. 

